Snow Quail! Pic Heavy!

[tracker]

It is nice to have access to so much high quaility private land. Especially if it has lots of quail waiting there for you. My buddies are dentists in the Yakima area and through the threat of drilling without pain killer, have extracted permission on thousands of arces of apple orchards. We normally only get time once a year to take adavantage of this and always try to make sure there is snow on the ground. I just love hunting the quail in the snow. On the way over my crew, stopped at the elk feeding grounds and took a look at the elk.


Two of the guys with me had never been hunting before and were there just to watch and act as camera crew and truck movers. They did a great job. Saved us having to walk back for the trucks a number of times. Here is Peter. I neve got a good pic of Visilly.

I kind of felt like some actor or something with my own film crew. Anyway here is a pic of the vally and surrounding area.


I have gained a few motre pounds than I should have and it made fotr a harder hunt than I remember it being.


My son was there to help me along with remarks like "you going to Die on me old man?" "If you do die, do I get the boat?" Anyway here we are as he is encouraging me to keep moving.


Two of the dogs are his. Used to be mine but he has taken over those duties. "Mishka" is the old man at about 12 years old. He did great through about have the day then began lagging behind. "Chance" is only 4 years old and really can put on a show finding those birds. Here is chance at work!





My buddies dog is "Lexxy". She is very good also. We did not lose a bird all day with the three of them working. Here is Lexxy with a bird she has just retrieved.


Some more shots of the action. Where is that bird!


There it is.


I missed a bunch more than I hit till I took some clothes off. My gun was catching in the extra clothing.






My son with one of the many he got that day. He was shooting better than I this day!




Thanks to all involved. Maybe next year Peter and Vassily will have a gun in their hands. I am going to get them to take a Hunters safety class with my younger daughter.

[Nw dukn]

Great pics .. love the picture of the herd of elk and especially the collard cow..

[DogZilla15]

Looks like you all had a great time. Beautiful weather for a late season hunt.

[Bob Barthlow]

Great pictures and thanks for sharing, looks like behind my house.

[steelheadslayer]

Nice hunt, the weather sure is better than when I was over there 3 weeks ago. We hit it the weekend the snow just started. My 11 month old lab really turned on to the quail and the few pheasants we encountered. Hunting quail in the snow is the best.

It does PAY to have access to lots of private land. My buddy who lives in Wapato is a firefighter/emt, so his volunteers on the reservation kinda kiss up for good assignments.

Congrats on the hunt and for sure even your buddies who had camera duties this time will be anxious to carry shotgun next year.

[Lucky one]

We use to make a trip like that every year to Eastern Oregon, we always hoped for snow but most the time it was just cold. The rancher who gave us access leased out his land so we lost the opportunity but it was great while it lasted. A hunt like that with good buddies is unbeatable.

[tracker]

The sore muscles the next day kept reminding me of the great time I had!

[Elk Czy]

Great pics, awesome herd...